Device for installing and removing tubular lamps and the like



30; 1945. f e. p. GRAUMLICH DEVICE FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING TUBULAR LAMPS AND THE LIKE Fild May 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A 3 1945- Q G. D. GRAUMLICH 2,383,137

DEVICE FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING TUBULARLAMPS AND THE LIKE v Fil ed May '7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 30, 1945 -@UNl-TED STATES PATENT orrlcej.

DEVICE FOR. INSTALLING REMOVING LAMPS AND 'I' IE LIKE I George Di Graumlich; Miami, Fla. Application May 7, 194$,Srial No. 592,318 1% Claims. (CLZM-ZO) The presentv invention provides a device for installing and removing tubular lamp bulbs and the like.

A standard arrangement for positioning a fluorescent lamptube in a pair ofsockets consists in providing each end of the tube with a pair of contact pins for engagement with spring finger seatsin the sockets. The tube is mounted by pushing-it sidewise between the sockets, with thepinsaligned in a vertical plane so that they will pass through. a radial slot in each socket, and then rotating the tube on. its longitudinal axis: throughabout 90' to' turn the pins into horizontal -alignment, in which position they impinge against and make electrical contact with the-spring fingers. Int-his position the horizontal spacing of each pair of pins prevents their falling through the-vertical slot throughwhich they were inserted; and thus the tube is held in position. 1 The tube is removed from its sockets by reverse turning to change the pin alignment from" horizontal to vertical so that the pins of each pair can be successively dropped orpulled through their slot in the socket. It frequently happens that installations in factories andapublic places are positioned high on ,thewallstor clo'seto high ceilings, so that a person :standing 011% the floor can not reach the lampitubesfor removal or lift them high enough forinsertion;1 The subject matter of the, pres- :ent inventioncomprises-a device in which gripping ori-clamping means for a lamp tube; is

mounted ongthe end of a more or less elongated j handle "so that 'a tube may be mounted in the pdevicennd by it be elevated to the level of the socketscand pushed and-rotated into place and so that the empty means may be lifted up" to an installed tube to grip it for rotation and removalm 1 ,j Objects ofthe invention are to provide a de- "viceof the character indicated which will be light in weight, inexpensive to make, durable and :fioolprooig in operation, and which will unfailingly perform its 1 intended functions without in- ;Iiury to the lamp tubes, even when used by an -unskilled orinexperienced person. I

- -,The-presentspecification and the accompany ingI drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of.;the invention which has. been found entirely practical in actualuseand; which therefore constitutes a preferred embodiment of the inventive concepts. I The invention is capable of being embodiedin other and, further modified iorms, all ,1 withinthescope of the invention a pointed out 'by the appended claims.

In the drawings, I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a, complete embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is aside elevational view, on a slightly enlarged scale, of the head of the device and the gripping jaws mounted therein;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 2'; y

another plane. 30.

when. seated in place.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 but showing the grippingdevice angularly displaced from its position in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal axial section through the upper portion of the handle and through the head and gripping members, all in tion shown in Fig. 3.

,In these drawings, a familiar type of-fluorescent lamp tube or the like-is designated l in Fig. 1.

the posi- Each end of the tube is covered by a ca 2 having endwise projecting contact pins 3, 3 which are based. along a diameter of the cap. As has been explained, ,a pair of spaced sockets are mounted on the ceiling or wall of a room, or on brackets fixed thereto, each socket having a slot -mately, 909.. These operations are readily accomplishedby a person holding the lamp in his hand if; the sockets are not so high as tobe inaccessible. The present invention provides a device by which inaccessibly high lamp mountin positions can be reached and the lamp properly rotated and pulledor pushed sidewise.

The device includes a-handle 4, conveniently made of pipe or tube sections provided in any number by interfittin their ends togetherso that the length of the handle may be adjusted to suit the height of the installations which are tobe serviced. A mounting head, generally designated}, is secured more, or less permanently to one end of the handle to provide a bearing about which the gripping element may be swivelled. In the illustrated embodiment of themvention. the head 5 consists of a pair of spaced parallel plates. 6, 6 which are cupped about the handle end and secured thereto as by nut and bolt means I, I standing through ears on the plates and clamping the handle end between them.

The outer end portions of the plates 6 are apertured to provide together a bearing 8 for a short and preferably hollow shaft 9 which is journaled in the bearing for free rotation between limits which will be hereinafter specified.

From the shaft Btwo arms I!) and II extend radially at an acute angle, opposite each other. Both arms are made channel shape, in the form of plates having their side edges flanged in the same direction, and one of the arms, say the arm I0, is fixed to the shaft as by the 'weld indicated at l2, and the other arm, designated. II in the drawings, is swivelled to the shaft for swinging movement toward and away from the fixed arm. This swivelling connection may be provided by having the arm side flanges, designated I1, project as ears l3 and penetrate peripheral slots in the shaft 9 and receive a cotter pin or the like 14 for holding them inside the shaft.

Each arm carries at its outer end, either fastened to it or made integral with it, an enlargement 15 in the form of a half round plate extending crosswise of the arm. The two plates together constitute a pair of jaws for gripping the tube 1, and they may be provided with internal pads I6 of rubber or the like for cushioning the tube and preventing injury to it.

Each arm is provided with a central lengthwise slot 18. A jaw-operating plate .19 is mounted between the two arms and has a reduced'portion' through a peripheral slot 21. Plates 28 arepreferably secured in the shaft so as to curve from the opening to the slot 21 and prevent injurious rubbing of the cord on the margins of the opening and the slot when the shaft is rotated in use of the device, in the manner which will now be explained.

It has been stated hereinabove that the shaft is openings 8 in the plates 6'. However, it is desirable to fix limits to this rotation, and yieldably to latch the shaft in such position that the arms will extend substantially in the plane of the axis 1 of the handle, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5.' To

the plate is kept from separation from its place between the arms by the seating of the extensions 20 in one end or another of the slots 18.

r A post 23 depends'from the center of the plate l9, between the arms, and serves as a connection it and with the pull cord 24 axially penetrating the lower portion of the post and knotted or soldered therein.

The spring 25 is under compression between the shaft 9 and the plate I!) and thus urges the plate out to the limit permitted by the upper ends of the slot 18. However, the plate can be moved in toward the shaft 9, against the tension of the spring 25, by pulling the cord 24, and it will be evident that the jaw I5 formed on the swivelled arm H will move toward and away from the jaw provided on the other arm as the plate i moved out or in, since the rollers 22 and the shoulders at the edges of the plate, on opposite sides of the reduced extensions 20, cooperate to keep uniform and fixed the spacing of the arms at the level of the plate. It will also be evident that the normal position of the plate is at its outer extreme, with the jaws at the inner range of their movement and with the spring 25 expanded to its permissible limit. Fig. 3 illustrates in full and dotted lines the two extreme positions of the plate, arms and jaws.

The cord 24 enters the shaft 9 through a small round opening 26 and extends from the shaft this end a detent in the form of a small boss 29 may be struck out of the margin of one of the plates 6 to cooperate with a corresponding small indentation 30 formed in the adjacentarm III in such position that when the boss and indentation are engaged the arms will be approximately aligned with the axis of the handle. However, the engagement of the parts 29 and 30 is such that the arms may be fairly readily swung to either side, past the engagement position of the parts of the detent.

It is convenient to limitrotation of the shaft .9 to such position as is shown in Fig. 4, where the arms extend substantially rightangularly from the axis of the shaft. This is conveniently arranged by striking a small lug 3| inwardly from the outer margin of each plate 6 so as to lie in the path of and become engaged by the side flange of the adjacent arm 10 or II. arms are limited in their swinging movement to a range of about between the position shown in Fig. 4 and a similar position in which they project from the diametrically opposite side of the head 5.

The cord'24 may extend from the handle '4 through an opening 32 in the first section of the handle and therefrom it may be continued down along the outside of the handle toward the end of the final section, where it may terminate in a ring, knob or the like 33.

The device is used as follows:

To remove a tube from its sockets the jaws are or to the left, which results in rotating the tube' in its sockets as the shaft 9 is being rotated in its bearing 8. With the parts then in the position shown in Fig. 4 the pins 3 of each pair are aligned vertically so as to pass'through the slot in the socket, whereupon the tube will in most cases fall free from the socket when the handle 4 is lowered. a

If it be found that the tube sticks in the sockets when the pins are aligned for dropping through the socket slots, it may be more easily removed by applying the device to the tube with the jaws in the position shown in Fig. 4, then pulling down on the handle to rotate the tube until the jaws are aligned with the axis of the handle, as shown in Fig. 1. With the parts in this position the tube may be forcibly dislodged from the sockets by a strong pull on the handle, during which of course there is no tendency for the shaft 9 or arms 10, l I to turn relatively to the head 5.

A tube is installed by first mounting it between the jaws l5, with the arms arranged as in Fig. '1

and with the pins 3 aligned in a vertical plane.

Thus the through the socket slots and then the handle is swung to one side so as to rotate the tube and seat the pins, whereupon the cord 24 is pulled to expand the jaws and release them from the tube.

The lower end of the handle 4 may be provided with a radially expansible cylindrical socket 34 for sleeving over a fluorescent lamp starter casing in the operation of installing or removing it. This socket 34, however, forms no part of the present invention and may be added or omitted, and used or not used, without in any way affecting the structure and mechanism which embody the invention claimed in this application.

Similarly, the pin and socket arrangement which has been hereinabove described as the type of mounting for fluorescent lamps which the device provided by the present invention is adapted to operate forms no part of the invention and has accordingly not been illustrated in the drawings.

I claim;

1. A device for moving an elongated lamp or other tube into and out of sockets of the type in which thetube is interlocked with and released from the sockets by rotation about its longitudinal axis, said device comprising an elongated handle having a bearing mounted crosswise at one end, a shaft journaled in said bearing, an arm fixed to said shaft and extending radially therefrom, an arm pivoted to the shaft and extending radially therefrom at an acute angle to the fixed arm, oppositely facing jaws carried by the two arms for gripping the tube, a plate movable in and out radially of the shaft between the two arms for varying their angular relation and the spacing of the jaws, means yieldably urging said plate outwardly to urge the jaws together, and a pull member'extending from the plate toward the other end of the handle for moving the plate inwardly to spread the arms and the jaws.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, including detent means cooperating with the fixed arm and with the handle to latch the two arms yieldably at a, predetermined angular relationto the axis of the handle.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, including detent means cooperating with the fixed arm and with the handle to latch the two arms yieldably in substantial alignment with the axis of the handle.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the arms are slotted lengthwise and in which means carried by the plate extends through each slot and is provided with portions overlapping the slot margins 50 as to draw the arms toward each other when the plate moves outwardly.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the arms are slotted lengthwise and in which means carried by the plate extends through each slot and overlaps the slot margins so as to draw the arms toward each other when the plate moves outwardly.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the arms are slotted lengthwise, and which includes rollers mounted on portions of the plate which extend through the slot, said rollers overlapping the slots and running along the arms as the plate is moved, whereby the plate and the rollers constrain the arms to move through varying angular relations as the plate is moved inwardly and outwardly.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a spring acting in tension between the plate and the shaft to urge the plate outwardly.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a coil spring acting in tension between the plate and the shaft, between the arms, to urge the plate outwardly.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a coil spring acting in tension between the plate and the shaft, between the arms, to urge the plate outwardly and in which the pull member is a cord connected to the plate and extending axially through the spring and the handle and diametrically through the shaft.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the pull member is a cord connected to the plate and extending through an opening formed transversely through the shaft which flares from a perforation in the side of the shaft adjacent to the arms to a peripheral slot in the opposite side, said cord extending axially through the handle.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1, including means limiting rotation of the shaft in the bearing.

12. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a stop for limiting rotation of the shaft in the bearing with the arms extending substantially right angularly from the axis of the handle.

GEORGE D. GRAUMLICH'. 

